Anglers gather on Santiam in Mill City

Jul. 31, 2013

The area downstream from the marker below the trestle footbridge is open to fishing on the North Santiam River at Mill City's Hammond Park. The river above the bridge to the falls upstream from the highway bridge is not. / Henry Miller / Statesman Journal

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A former railroad trestle is now a crossing for the Canyon Journeys Trail across the North Santiam River at Hammond Park in Mill City.

Park and hike and fish

What: A sweet spot downriver from the trestle footbridge on the North Santiam River at Hammond Park in Mill City Getting there: Take a right on Highway 22 just past the Circle K, go down the hill and watch for the park on your right. Park hours: Dawn to dusk. No parking?: It’s available across the street in front of the defunct Mill City Independent Press building and the adjacent Canyon Life Museum. About that museum: According to the printout taped to the door, the summer hours May through Labor Day are 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Or you can call to arrange a visit at (503) 897-2816. Museum information is at (503) 987-4088. Mill City online:ci.mill-city.or.us/home

Even with its limited hours, there's still interesting stuff to look at, and photograph, in front of the Canyon Life Museum across the street from Hammond Park.

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MILL CITY — One of the most gorgeous fishing holes on the North Santiam River is right in the heart of town. Half a hole, anyway.

Just turn right next to the Circle K on Highway 22 and go down the hill to Hammond Park on your right.

The park features bathrooms, trash receptacles, picnic tables with grills and the start of a nice trail that crosses the North Santiam on wooden decking on a former railroad trestle.

That bridge serves as a deadline marker. Fishing is not allowed from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife orange marker on the bank under the bridge upriver to the falls at the east end of the pool.

The closed area is to prevent the rampant snagging when the fish keg up below the falls.

The first time I saw this gem, anglers were lining the picturesque rocks on the margins, reminding you somewhat of bears in Alaska waiting to catch a passing salmon.

“Oh yea,” laughed Stacie Cook, the recorder at city hall. “When the fish are in, you can go down there almost any time, and there’s lots of people.”

Even though it’s deep, the best bite, and the twin peaks of interest by anglers, seem to be mornings and evenings, she said.

“That is when I see most of the people down there,” Cook said. “But you could go in the afternoon, too, and see people, because the shadow of the bridge provides some shade in there, too.

“But generally the mornings or the evenings are when you find people down there.”

Fishing on open stretches of the river is allowed for hatchery steelhead year-round, non-fin-clipped steelhead July 1-Aug. 31, hatchery trout from May 25-Oct. 31 and hatchery Chinook salmon Jan.1-Aug. 15 and Nov. 1-Dec. 31.

Anglers have the spot pretty much to themselves, except for occasional rafters, canoeists and kayakers who use the easy access on the north bank of the river at the park as a launch and recovery spot.

“That area isn’t necessarily popular as a swimming hole,” Cook said. “There are a couple of other areas along the river, one in Kimmel Park that is really popular as a swimming hole.

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“That one is more bringing in kayakers and rafters, either as a put-in or take-out point.”

And while you’re there, check out the trail.

“That old railroad bridge is a portion of the Canyon Journeys Trail that was implemented, oh, I don’t know how many years ago throughout the Willamette Valley and upper-canyon area. It will take you east on Wall Street, then you go on down through Santiam Point, and then it takes you back continuing east on another little footbridge.

“And then it will end at city limits because there’s kind of a drop-off.”

If fishing with a lot of others doesn’t sound all that appealing, here’s another hint.

Stop by anyway.

The number of anglers and vehicles at Hammond Park is a fairly reliable indicator about whether or not the salmon and steelhead have arrived at that section of the North Santiam.

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